Metal side rails for tensioning vibrating screens are subject to undue wear, thus requiring relatively frequent replacement. A layer of molded rubber may be provided on the side rail, attached by adhesive above a flange which receives a side strip attached to the screen, as by welding, and has a hook which engages the flange. Such a layer increases the useful life of the side rail considerably. The rubber layer will separate from the side rail, if attached by adhesive to the side rail before the desired shape is produced, when a bending or other shaping step is taken. Thus, it is customary to mold the wear layer separately, in a width which is equal to the widest layer which might be needed and to cut or shear the rubber layer to a width and length to fit the side rail to which the rubber is to be attached. Any necessary holes for accommodating the heads of tension bolts are made through the rubber. The rail is bent to shape and then adhesive is applied to the underside of the rubber layer, which is then held against the previously bent rail until the adhesive has set. Due partly to the difficulty in obtaining a clean, oil-free surface on the rail after bending, such wear layers are not always adhered sufficiently to the rail and, therefore, have exhibited a tendency to come loose, particularly during hard usage, unusual temperature conditions and the like.